Sunday’s 49ers-Broncos matchup comes with an uncomfortable little twist: Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga, once teammates in San Francisco, now meet on opposite sidelines after very different exits.
Both defenders ended up in Denver in 2025, but the results didn’t play out the same way. Hufanga settled in and delivered, finishing second on the team in tackles and proving he was worth the three-year, $39 million deal he signed. He helped push the Broncos to within one win of the Super Bowl.
Greenlaw’s story went the other direction. Injuries piled up, the season went sideways, and by June he was cut outright. What was supposed to be a fresh start in Colorado turned into a short, rough stay.
Now Greenlaw is back with the 49ers, and the stage is set for the kind of reunion that doesn’t need any extra spice. The questions are obvious: which player landed in the better spot, and which front office got it right?
Greenlaw, back in familiar territory, has plenty to prove. After being moved on from by Sean Payton’s staff, he should come into Sunday with a major edge.
Coach Kyle Shanahan made that much clear earlier this week. His 2025 season was almost a complete lost year, especially compared with the strong run he had in the Bay.
Back in San Francisco, he has a chance to show Denver exactly what it gave up.
Hufanga’s motivation is different, but it’s there. The 49ers let him go in 2024 for financial reasons, and he has already found a landing spot in Denver. Week 4 will be his first shot at getting even against the team that moved on from him.
This isn’t really a feud between Greenlaw and Hufanga. It’s more a shared storyline that split in two.
Both players made decisions that led them here, and both teams are chasing Super Bowl contention. On Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, the game doubles as a measuring stick for two former 49ers who know this meeting means more than just another date on the schedule.
Fans should expect both to play with plenty of edge all afternoon.
In Other News...
49ers Face A Mac Jones Decision Fans Cant Ignore
The 49ers have been getting calls on Mac Jones, but the buzz around the backup quarterback is not changing the teams view of him. ESPNs Dan Graziano reported that San Francisco sees Jones as important insurance behind Brock Purdy, which helps explain why the club is expected to keep him rather than move him before the NFL trade deadline.
San Francisco has reportedly heard from multiple teams, but the asking price remains steep enough that a deal may not come together. Jones value to the 49ers is rooted in what he already showed in a starting role last season, when he filled in for eight games and helped the team go 5-3, giving the front office a reason to treat him as more than just a spare arm. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Week 4 Outlook Suddenly Hinges On One Late Decision
A late rib injury has turned Mike Evans into one of the biggest pregame variables on the 49ers Week 4 radar, with the veteran wide receiver now listed as questionable for Sundays matchup against the Denver Broncos. Evans was hurt in Week 3 and is being treated as a game-time decision, leaving San Francisco to wait until roughly 90 minutes before kickoff for the official word.
Evans has made it clear he wants to suit up, and his history of playing through similar injuries only adds to the uncertainty around how much the 49ers can count on him. For a team trying to keep its offense on schedule against a Broncos defense that can make every possession matter, his availability could shape the way San Francisco approaches the game from the opening drive on. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Linked To A Draft Back For Life After Christian McCaffrey
Jahiem Whites 2026 season at North Texas has put him on the radar as a potential mid-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, and the skill set is easy to see for a team like the 49ers. He has flashed the kind of elusiveness, vision and burst that tend to play well in San Franciscos offense, especially for a back who can create with the ball in his hands and keep defenses honest on the perimeter.
For the 49ers, the appeal is less about asking White to carry a heavy weekly load and more about the idea of a change-of-pace runner who fits alongside bigger personnel decisions at the position. His profile suggests a player who can complement a more physical inside option, which makes him the kind of draft name worth tracking as the process moves forward. [Read more 🡒]